Real-time reports on clearcuts and log exports from southern Vancouver Island. Updated with data from online sources and first-hand info. Spread the word: bookmark, share, follow, comment. Send photos and tips to clearcuts@hushmail.com .

Monday, December 19, 2011

Log export forecast

Two multinational log export ships are loading raw logs from Vancouver Island ports this week.

The Global Explorer (Panama) is loading raw logs from Nanaimo port on Thursday and Friday.















The Global Explorer, pictured in Sacramento, California.

The Maritime Sirinant (Panama) is loading raw logs from Port Alberni all week. Below, the Maritime Sirinant in Portland, Oregon.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Log export forecast

Five vessels are loading raw logs from Vancouver Island ports this week. The Ken Rei (registered in Vanuatu) is at Harmac, and the Ocean Hope (also flying the Vanuatu flag) is loading in Nanaimo. Vanuatu is a tiny island nation used as a flag of convenience by international resource corporations.

The Green Island (registered in Panama) is loading logs in Port Alberni.
















The Sun Ruby (Hong Kong) is loading logs in Crofton.













The Bering Id (Hong Kong) is loading logs in Kultas Cove.














Sunday, November 27, 2011

Log export forecast

Two ships are loading raw logs from Vancouver Island this week. The Ocean Harmony (Hong Kong) is loading logs at Harmac on Monday and Tuesday, and the Ken Rei (Vanuatu by way of Shanghai) is loading at Harmac on Saturday.

The Ken Rei, loading logs in Port Alberni earlier this year.



Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Log export forecast

One ship is loading raw logs from Vancouver Island this week. The Ocean Harmony (Hong Kong) is loading logs in Port Alberni through Thursday, and in Nanaimo on Friday.

The Ocean Harmony, photographed in Vancouver

Monday, November 14, 2011

Log export forecast

One ship is loading raw logs from Vancouver Island this week.

The Cook Strait (Hong Kong) is loading in Port Alberni Monday through Thursday, and in Crofton on Friday.

The Cook Strait, shown here in Seattle.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Updated: Coastal Douglas Fir near Nanoose Bay

Logging of old-growth Douglas fir trees began today above the west end of Nanoose Bay. The Crown land known as DL 33 has been the site of a struggle between local environmentalists and the Snaw-naw-as (Nanoose) First Nation, which holds a permit to log the grove.

Update: "People in the woods" halted logging on November 9 and 10, according to eyewitnesses.

Below, loggers on the walking trail into DL 33.
















The woodlot is one of the last stands of old-growth coastal Douglas fir on the east island.



























Commercial logging has stripped Vancouver Island of most of its original Douglas fir forests. Some of these trees are estimated to be 300 years old.
















Info: Nanoose Bay Forest. Photos: James Coccola.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Log export forecast

One ship is loading raw logs from Vancouver Island this week. The English Bay (Hong Kong) is loading logs at Harmac until Friday.













The English Bay, shown here in Seattle.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Update: Clearcut logging near China Beach

Clearcut logging across the highway from the entrance to China Beach campground, behind a "beauty strip" of unlogged forest.















Tansky Main, opposite China Beach Campground on Highway 14.















The company doing the logging is Queesto, a partnership between the Pacheedaht First Nation and Canadian Overseas Group. The land was once part of Tree Farm License 25, but is now part of the new Tree Farm License 61 (PDF map) which is owned by the partnership.

















No men with chainsaws here. The logging is done with feller-bunchers. These machines (shown above) cut and drop a tree in a few seconds. Five machines were operating in the cutblock, which after just a couple weeks is the size of ten football fields. A forester said the whole hillside (about 100 football fields) will be stripped by Christmas.




























The loggers are contractors. There were no Pacheedaht First Nation members working  in the cutblock. The logs are not supplying the mini-sawmill on the Pacheedaht reserve - they are trucked to the Jordan River log sort, then to a mill on the Fraser River. The milled lumber is sent to China and elsewhere.















According to news reports, the Pacheedaht First Nation paid at least $300,000 for the right to harvest timber on their traditional territory. It will take years to pay off the debt.

Photos by James Coccola.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Log export forecast

Five foreign-flagged ships are loading raw logs from Vancouver Island ports this week.

The Poavosa Wisdom III (Panama) is loading logs in Nanaimo
Photo: Port Alberni, August 16, 2011













The Global Garland (Panama) is loading logs in Nanaimo 
Photo: Port Alberni, Dec 20 2009 
 











Black Forest (Hong Kong) is loading logs in Crofton









The White Coral (Panama) is loading logs at Harmac 
White Coral in Port Alberni Oct. 24 2011














The Kiwi Trader (Hong Kong) is loading logs at Kultas Cove

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Black Forest (Hong Kong) in Port Alberni

The Black Forest, a Hong Kong flagged cargo vessel, is currently loading raw logs in Port Alberni, bringing the number of raw log export ships in Vancouver Island ports to six this week.













The Black Forest, shown here in Shanghai harbour.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Clearcut forecast

Reported: Clearcut logging across the highway from China Beach, near Juan de Fuca Provincial Park, 70 km west of Victoria.
















The company doing the logging is Queesto Logging, a partnership between the Pacheedaht First Nation and Canadian Overseas Group. The wood is reportedly destined for a mill on the Fraser River. This group began operations in its new Tree Farm License this fall. Click here for a larger PDF version of the forest map below.


















A few kilometers east of China Beach, the Jordan River log sort yard is full of timber.































This just in: Caycuse Valley has been stripped.

Below: Ancient Forest Alliance executive director Ken Wu next to old growth Douglas fir trees that were cut down in the Caycuse Valley between Cowichan Lake and the Walbran Valley. The Alliance is trying to prevent this from happening again, to preserve Vancouver Island’s few vital old growth forests. Photo: Tyler Clark for Lake Cowichan Gazette
 
 













The Ancient Forest Alliance reports:

The BC government has allowed an important deer wintering range to be logged on Vancouver Island in the Caycuse Valley south of Cowichan Lake. British Columbia's coastal black-tailed deer populations that live at higher elevations (ie. where there is snow pack) spend the winter months in old-growth forests where they find food and shelter. Lichens which take a long time to spread and grow (and thus are found in much greater abundance in old-growth forests) form a large part of their winter diet. 

This particular grove of extremely rare old-growth Douglas firs was logged in the summer of 2011. Vancouver Island's deer population has dropped from over 200,000 individuals in the 1970's to less than 60,000 individuals 30 years later in large part due to the logging of their old-growth wintering range. Help protect Vancouver Island's last old-growth forests, ensure sustainable second-growth forestry, and ban the export of raw logs.

Click to view video:

 
 

Monday, October 24, 2011

Log export forecast

Five foreign-registered cargo ships are loading raw logs from Vancouver Island ports this week. Data from the BC Maritime Employers Association and Marine Traffic.com

The Matakana Island (Hong Kong), loading in Crofton




















Kiwi Trader (Hong Kong), loading in Kultas Cove










Ocean Hope (Vanuatu), loading in Nanaimo



















Pacific Logger (Hong Kong), loading in Nanaimo










White Coral (Panama), loading in Port Alberni